Paediatric Occupational Therapy

The Paediatric Occupational Therapy service aims to promote independence amongst children from birth to 19 years of age.

It works with families and schools/colleges to provide up-to-date evidence-based assessments, interventions, support and advice to maximise the child’s functional abilities.

The service also:

sees and offers advice and support to children who may have specific conditions in areas of co-ordination, visual perceptual, seating difficulties, handwriting, sensory processing difficulties or have a physical disability which impacts upon their daily life skills. Often when their skills are below that of their overall developmental level.

looks at areas including bilateral integration skills (using both hands together), manual dexterity along with fine and gross motor skills (handwriting, scissor skills, self-care, balance, ball skills and hand-eye co-ordination) and sensory integration. All these areas often affect a child’s occupational performance at school, home or during leisure activities.

works as part of a multi-agency team which includes paediatricians, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, health transition specialists and health visitors who provide support and education on occupational therapy issues.

refers and liaises with several services including wheelchair services, podiatry, school nursing, the education department and Rushall Inclusion Service.

Service leads

All children can be referred via either a paediatrician, GP, a trained school SENCo, Team Around the Child (TAC) service, or a variety of other health professionals including physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, school nursing, podiatrists or health visitors.

Once the referral is received and all relevant referral paperwork is completed, it is then triaged by the team leads to identify which pathway it is best suited to.

Once a child is discharged a re-referral can be made with 12 months where the child can be reviewed. However, if a child is discharged from the service for more than 12 months a new referral needs to be completed and a new assessment will take place.